Saskatchewan Roughriders bring back kicker Michael Hughes

Photo courtesy: Arthur Ward/Saskatchewan Roughriders

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have brought back American kicker Michael Hughes.

The six-foot-three, 190-pound specialist returns to Regina after finishing last season on the practice roster. He played one game for the Roughriders last season and went two for two on field goals, including a 42-yard strike. 

Incumbent starting kicker Brett Lauther, who Hughes replaced in that game, is due a $25,000 offseason bonus on February 1, which could prompt the team to make a decision on the future of their kicking game.

Hughes is the all-time leader in field-goal percentage (83.3) at Appalachian State, where he played in 46 games from 2021 to 2024. He connected on 35 of 42 field goal attempts over that span, while going a perfect 120-for-120 on converts and averaging 60.7 yards per kickoff.  

The Charleston, W.V., native made 18 field goals in a row during a stretch that spanned the 2023 and 2024 seasons. In 2023, he was named a second-team All-American by the College Football Network after he went 19-for-22 on field goals, including a 54-yard game-winner, and hit all 54 converts.

The Roughriders finished first in the West Division standings in 2025 with a 12-6 record, finishing first in the West Division for the first time since 2019. The team went on to defeat the Montreal Alouettes in the 112th Grey Cup in Winnipeg, marking the team’s first championship in 12 years. Trevor Harris went 11-5 as a starter, throwing for 4,549 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.

The Roughriders ranked second in net offence, second in net defence, and tied for third with a turnover differential of plus-eight. The team’s leading rusher was A.J. Ouellette with 1,222 yards, the leading receiver was KeeSean Johnson with 1,159 yards, and the leading tackler was A.J. Allen with 91 tackles. Saskatchewan finished second in attendance with average crowds of 28,427, which was a 2.7 percent increase from the previous year.